Zechariah 7:12

Zechariah 7:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.
• New International Version (NIV)They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts.

Context of Zechariah 7:12

10and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ 11But they refused to pay attention, and turned a stubborn shoulder and plugged their ears from hearing. They also made their hearts as hard as a diamond so that they could not hear the Law and the words which the Lord of armies had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the Lord of armies. 13And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen,” says the Lord of armies; 14“but I scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they did not know. So the land was desolated behind them so that no one went back and forth, since they made the pleasant land desolate.”

Zechariah 7:12 word by word

וְלִבָּ֞ם שָׂ֣מוּ שָׁמִ֗יר מִ֠שְּׁמוֹעַ אֶת־הַתּוֹרָ֤ה וְאֶת־הַדְּבָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר שָׁלַ֜ח יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ בְּרוּח֔וֹ בְּיַ֖ד הַנְּבִיאִ֣ים הָרִֽאשֹׁנִ֑ים וַֽיְהִי֙ קֶ֣צֶף גָּד֔וֹל מֵאֵ֖ת יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear

• They also madeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• heartsלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• a diamondשָׁמִירshâmîyr · thornH8068
• soמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• the Lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
• wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• whichאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• of armiesצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
• had sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• by His Spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
• throughיָדyâd · hand: byH3027
• formerרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · first: previousH7223
• prophetsנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
• therefore greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• wrathקֶ֫צֶףqetseph · wrathH7110
• cameהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961

Cross-references for Zechariah 7:12

• Nehemiah 9:29And admonished them in order to turn them back to Your Law. Yet they acted arrogantly and did not listen to Your commandments but sinned against Your ordinances, Which, if a person follows them, then he will live by them. And they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck, and would not listen.
• Job 9:4Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm?
• Isaiah 48:4Because I know that you are obstinate, And your neck is an iron tendon And your forehead bronze,
• Jeremiah 5:3Lord, do Your eyes not look for honesty? You have struck them, But they did not weaken; You have consumed them, But they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to repent.
• Ezekiel 2:4So I am sending you to those who are impudent and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says:’
• Ezekiel 3:7yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me. The entire house of Israel certainly is stubborn and obstinate.
• Ezekiel 11:19And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
• Ezekiel 36:26Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
• Psalms 50:17For you yourself hate discipline, And you throw My words behind you.
• Isaiah 6:10Make the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes blind, So that they will not see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.”
• Matthew 13:15For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their heart, and return, And I would heal them.’
• Mark 4:12so that while seeing they may see, and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear, and not understand, otherwise they might return and it would be forgiven them.”
• Luke 8:12And those beside the road are the ones who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.
• John 3:19And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil.
• John 3:20For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed.
• Acts 28:27For the hearts of this people have become insensitive, And with their ears they hardly hear, And they have closed their eyes; Otherwise they might see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.”’

Commentaries on Zechariah 7:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Made their hearts as an adamant stone - שמיר shamir may mean the granite. This is the hardest stone with which the common people could be acquainted. Perhaps the corundum, of which emery is a species, may be intended. Bochart thinks it means a stone used in polishing others. The same name, in Hebrew, applies to different stones.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Harder than adamant - The stone, whatever it be, was hard enough to cut ineffaceable characters: it was harder than flint. It would cut rocks; it could not be graven itself, or receive the characters of God. This is the last sin, obduracy, persevering impenitence, which “resisted the Holy Spirit” Acts 7:51. and “did despite to the Spirit of grace” Hebrews 10:29. Not through infirmity, but of set purpose, they hardened themselves, lest “they should…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-14Verses 8-14 God's judgements upon Israel of old for their sins, were written to warn Christians. The duties required are, not keeping fasts and offering sacrifices, but doing justly and loving mercy, which tend to the public welfare and peace. The law of God lays restraint upon the heart. But they filled their minds with prejudices against the word of God. Nothing is harder than the heart of a presumptuous sinner. See the fatal consequences of this to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12To make your heart like flint is to resist God's will (see Jeremiah 17:1; compare Ezekiel 3:9). The law (torah in Hebrew) refers to God's laws and commands as taught and explained by the prophets.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. hearts ... adamant--(Eze 3:9; 11:19). Lord ... sent in Spirit by ... prophets--that is, sent by the former prophets inspired with His Spirit. therefore ... great wrath--(2Ch 36:16). As they pushed from them the yoke of obedience, God laid on them the yoke of oppression. As they made their heart hard as adamant, God brake their hard hearts with judgments. Hard hearts must expect hard treatment. The harder the stone, the harder the blow of the hammer to…Read the comment

Topics related to Zechariah 7:12

• Adamant
• Afflictions and Adversities
• Impenitence
• Prophets
• Wicked (People)
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• Lord of Hosts
• Adamant
• Diamond
• Bible, the
• Canon of the Old Testament
• Ezekiel
• Revelation
• Stones, Precious
• Trinity
• Zechariah, Book of

Commentaries on Zechariah 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings